Photo Courtesy of Indian Hills Community College Social Media

Most in the Washington community know head boys track and field coach Steve Roth for the work he has done on the oval around Case Field, but before his decades with the Demons, he was known for his prowess on the field inside the track. Roth, a standout quarterback at Mount Pleasant High School and 1971 graduate, was recruited to the football team at Indian Hills Community College in Centerville by legendary coach Al Daniels. Roth’s freshman edition of the Golden Falcons went on to win the Iowa Junior College Conference title with a 5-0-1 record in league play and finished 6-2-1 overall. Indian Hills scored key wins over three nationally-ranked teams that season, including No. 4 Ellsworth Community College 35-0, and No. 3 Grand Rapids Community College 22-21. Along with earning the first conference title in school history, the 1971 team was selected this year to join the Indian Hills Athletics Hall of Fame. Roth, a safety for the Golden Falcons, talked recently with KCII News about his experience at Indian Hills, that team and the induction ceremony.

Roth said, “I backed up an All-American, Odell Watson was his name, I learned a lot. Played a lot in practice, a lot of special teams. I didn’t know what was going to happen when I got there, I was green, a Mount Pleasant kid going Centerville. It was amazing they even had a junior college there. I was trying to adapt. I just sat back and watched, and learned. It was beneficial. Our team was mostly made up sophomores that played. Their expectations were high and they were great leaders. Ellsworth was the game that we weren’t supposed to win and we shut them out. The first conference championship for Indian Hills was very special, very cool! It was a close group, I think that’s why so many people returned (for the induction). Saturday it was a banquet, then they took us to the basketball game and introduced us at halftime to a great crowd. It was very special, very humbling to look back at 50 years ago and it’s special to think this team got to go together into the Hall of Fame!”

The ceremony occurred last month in Ottumwa.